This blog post is part of a local Maritime bloggers blog hop!
We’ve teamed up to bring you a series of creative Thanksgiving turkey posts including fun crafts and food recipes.
Let’s start with the turkey meatballs…
It’s always fun to switch things up a bit and re-vamp old family recipes.
These melt-in-your-mouth meatballs are delicious and can be served alone, as a side dish or simply enjoyed as a snack.
The secret is adding buttermilk to the recipe. This simple step makes the meatballs ever so tender and kids love them!
Ingredients
450g ground turkey
2 cups breadcrumbs (1 cup for the mixture and 1 cup to coat the meatballs)
1 egg
1/2 can chickpeas, ground in food processor to form a paste (optional)
1/2 cup buttermilk
(side note: because buttermilk is expensive, I substitute with 1/2 milk and 1 tsp white vinegar)
1/4 tsp of ground allspice
(or substitute with a dash of each of the following ground spices: cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
3 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 cup of chicken broth
Instructions
Mix ground turkey, 1 cup of breadcrumbs, egg, buttermilk and spices in a bowl.
I like incorporating extra protein in our meals, which is why I add the chickpea paste in the mixture… great trick for picky eaters too 🙂
Form small round balls.
Coat each meatball with breadcrumbs, on a plate.
In a frying pan, heat 3 tbsp of vegetable oil.
Reduce to medium heat.
Add meatballs and cook for 3 minutes, then rotate to cook them on the other side for another 3 minutes.
Add chicken broth to the pan.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until most of the broth has been absorbed by the meatballs.
Remove from heat.
Let cool and serve as desired. You can also freeze the meatballs at this point and eat them at a later time.
I like placing the meatballs on skewers with cheese and veggies as a quick after school snack.
Hope you and your kids enjoy this recipe too!
And make sure to scroll down below and check out the rest of these wonderful Thanksgiving turkey activities for kids.
Nothing beats the smell of fresh baked apple pie in the fall. The sweet aroma of fresh apples and cinnamon is just the right combination of comfort food for the soul.
Here is a quick and easy apple pie recipe you can try this fall.
And it only takes 10 minutes to prepare!
If your lucky enough to have apple trees in your back yard or an orchard near by, this is the perfect time to go apple picking.
And whether hand-picked or store bought, any type of apples can be used for this simple recipe.
Ingredients
Store-bought pie crust (or homemade, if you have the time)
7 medium sized apples, cored, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp allspice (or substitute with a 1/3 tbsp of each of the following ground spices: cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves)
1 tbsp raw sugar (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 385°F.
Mix apple slices, granulated sugar and spices in a bowl
Place first pie crust on bottom of pie pan
Add mixture on top
Place second pie crust over top
Make 4 slits on pie crust top
Sprinkle with the raw sugar
Bake for 30 minutes
Enjoy plain or with ice cream!
Summer BBQing is one of our favorite things to do. This recipe is a fresh take on traditional pizza using store bought flatbread and garden herbs.
It’s simple to make and you can put your own spin on it.
Ingredients
1 PC original flat bread
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 diced tomato
1/4 cup sliced olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano, thyme, parsley, mint and basil)
Instructions
Brush the flatbread with the olive oil on both sides
Place flatbread upside-down on BBQ and cook for 2 minutes
Flip it over
Add tomatoes, feta, olives and herbs on top
BBQ for another 2 minutes
Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top.
Voilà!
Enjoy!
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When it comes to making desserts the first question that pops in my head is: “Is the prep time 20 min or less?”, because… usually, I only have about 20 min to prep.
As a result, I often use the following recipe which is my go-to for no-fail ‘cake type’ desserts, like Bundt cakes, loaf cakes, birthday cakes, muffins and cupcakes.
The original recipe is from an old cookbook dating back to the 1960’s, which has long been misplaced. However, the recipe has evolved over the years. Numerous changes to the main ingredients and amounts, have turned this recipe into a family favorite.
It’s ONE basic recipe for a spongy, moist dessert, with countless variations.
- Prep time: 15 min
- Baking time: 1 hour
- Yields: 2 loaf cakes or 1 Bundt cake or two 9″ round cakes or one 13″x9″ cake or two 8″ square cakes or 24-26 muffins or cupcakes
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups Crisco® vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
5 eggs (yes, 5, this is not a typo)
1/2 milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F
Spray baking pan with nonstick cooking spray
In a bowl, mix oil and sugar
Add eggs, milk and vanilla
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture
Mix until creamy
At this point you can throw in your choice of add-ins (see ‘Variations’ section below)
Place the batter into the baking pans
Bake for 1 hour
Let cool
Enjoy!
Variations
This is my favorite part. You can add anything you want to the basic batter… and make your own creations!
Here are some of my favorites:
Classic Marble Cake
Place 1/3 of the plain batter aside
Add 1/4 cup cocoa to it
and an additional 3 tbsp of milk
Mix well.
Place plain batter in the pan.
Add chocolate batter on top of plain batter.
Then swirl the chocolate batter into the plain batter using a knife.
Veggie & Nut Cake
1/3 cup carrots
1/3 cup zucchini
1/3 cup walnuts
Tropical Cake
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 mashed banana
Cranberry Orange Cake
1 cup cranberries
1 tsp orange zest
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
2 tsp poppy seeds
Turn any of the above combinations into other types of desserts, like Bundt cakes, cupcakes, muffins, etc.
Experiment with different add-ins too! The possibilities are endless 🙂
Blueberry Muffins
Add 2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries to the basic mix
Chocolate Chip Muffins
Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the basic batter
Freeze & Store For Later
Once cooled, place your baked creations in large freezer bags and freeze them to enjoy throughout the season. Thaw them overnight and enjoy the next day.
(Mug from Hawkins Pottery, PEI)
Happy spring baking!
More dessert recipes?
Last year my youngest asked me to make mookies. I honestly did not know what he was talking about. He said they were ‘muffin-cookies‘. So I looked for a recipe and found this one online.
Turns out mookies (a.k.a. ‘muffin tops’) are delicious! We’ve been making them ever since. They’re great add-ins to lunches and after school snacks.
The following recipe was adapted from food.com
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Baking time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 20 mookies
Ingredients
1 cup melted unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped almonds or walnuts
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F
Line baking sheet with parchment paper
Mix butter and brown sugar until smooth
Beat in eggs and vanilla
Combine dry ingredients and blend in with butter mixture
Using a tablespoon, drop large scoops of the mixture onto baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
Bake for 20 minutes
Let cool and enjoy!
Star Wars fans? You might want to try this…
Make these simple changes to easily turn your mookies into Wookies!
1. Reduce the amount of flour to 3/4 cup
2. Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder
3. Substitute the raisins with 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Freeze & store
- You can freeze mookies raw and bake them later.
- You can bake mookies, then freeze them (up to 3 weeks).
If baked, then frozen, simply microwave them for 20 seconds and voilà… tasty as the day they came out of the oven.
Happy baking!
This healthy and simple fish soup recipe is great for any season.
And if you happen to suffer from seafood allergies or are lactose intolerant, this can be a smart alternative to seafood chowder.
It’s easy to make and ready in 20 minutes!
Ingredients
♦ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
♦ 1 onion
♦ 2 carrots
♦ 2 celery stalks, leaves included
♦ 1 large Russet potato
♦ 6 cups of water
♦ 2 large frozen boneless haddock fillets, 0.6 kg (cod, sole or halibut will do too)
♦ 2 Knorr® homestyle vegetable stock packages
♦ Salt & pepper to taste
♦ 1/2 lemon (optional)
Instructions
♦ Cut vegetables
♦ Heat oil
♦ Add onion and cook until translucent
♦ Add water
♦ Add vegetable stock
♦ Add frozen fish, whole (no need to cut into pieces, it will break apart on it’s own once cooked)
♦ Add vegetables
♦ Bring to a boil
♦ Reduce heat
♦ Stir and simmer for 20 minutes or until fish and potatoes are cooked
♦ Add salt and pepper
♦ Add fresh lemon juice before serving (optional)
Serve with warm biscuits or garlic bread.
Enjoy!
by Regina Cozzi
Hot chocolate, a winter favorite. Although hot chocolate mix is easy to use, here are some alternatives you might want to try. These recipes are easy to make and sure to please the whole family!
Caramel hot chocolate
♦ 8 Caramilk® bar pieces (1 bar contains 10 pieces)
♦ 1 cup of milk
Creamy white hot chocolate
♦ 6 Hershey’s® Cookies ‘n’ Creme pieces (1 bar contains 8 pieces)
♦ 1 cup of milk
Truffle hot chocolate
♦ 5 PC® Italian milk chocolate truffles
♦ 1 cup of milk
If you like dark chocolate, you can use PC® dark chocolate truffles instead.
To obtain a nutty flavoured hot chocolate, use PC® hazelnut truffles.
Instructions
♦ Add chocolate pieces and milk in a wide mug.
♦ Microwave for 1 minute.
♦ Blend mixture with a hand blender, directly in the mug.
This method is foolproof. It blends the milk and the chocolate together at the bottom, and makes it frothy at the top… the perfect hot chocolate!
Enjoy!
by Katie Keddy
Sweet potatoes are a vegetable that usually make a person think of one of two things – Christmas or Thanksgiving; but here in Lakeville, Nova Scotia, we are working to change that!
Valley Harvest Sweet Potatoes started nearly ten years ago as a trial crop at Charles Keddy Farms (owned and operated by Charles and Doris Keddy, and their son Philip). It was thought they could not be grown successfully on a large scale here in Nova Scotia but my father-in-law, Charles Keddy, aimed to prove people wrong.
Since sweet potatoes are bred to be a southern crop we need to mimic the southern growing conditions as best we can to have a successful season each year here in Nova Scotia. We grow our potatoes on black plastic with a sophisticated drip irrigation system. The black plastic warms the soil and helps keep it moist, and the irrigation system allows us to apply the exact amount of water and nutrients we need to obtain our desired yields. We also actively participate in research trials projects which allow us to improve our crop, yields and agricultural practices.
Valley Harvest began producing sweet potatoes commercially six years ago, and since then their popularity has increased dramatically! We harvested 130,000 lbs in our first commercial growing season, compared to this year’s yield of over one million pounds. We believe much of their initial gain in popularity was due mainly to the increased consumption of sweet potato fries, however that is just one of many delicious recipes that these nutritious vegetables can be used for.
Now, myself, I am mom of two active farm boys, wife to my farmer husband, and I also work on the farm along with a part time job that I love; and even though we grow this tasty vegetable, finding time to cook can prove to be a challenge some days! My goal in the kitchen is simplicity! I need meals that are quick, filling for my hungry farmers but also something that the kids will eat without complaint.
One of our favorite side dishes this time of year using our potatoes is Valley Harvest Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes. This recipe is quick, easy, and the kids love it! It pairs well with any local meat and heats up nicely the following day (though I’d be surprised to hear of leftovers).
Check out the recipe below and feel free to ‘Like’ us on Facebook, where I post more recipes that are delicious and family friendly. Our family would also like to extend a big thank you to all of you, the consumers, who continue to support local farmers and the agriculture industry in Nova Scotia. We are proud to produce for you and your families!
Valley Harvest Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes
3-4 medium valley harvest sweet potatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup local honey
2 tsp dried rosemary, or to taste
(fresh can also be used as well)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 green onions, chopped
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Wash potatoes, and peel if desired. Chop into 1″ cubes. In large bowl toss potatoes, oil, honey, garlic and rosemary until potatoes are coated. Place on sprayed baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until soft, and slightly blackened; approx. 20-30 minutes. Be sure to turn over halfway through cooking. Serve as is, or with some chopped green onions sprinkled on top. I also like to add hot peppers, as pictured above, which taste great if you enjoy some spice!
Katie Keddy
Member of the Valley Harvest Family
by Chef Mike MacIsaac
This recipe was inspired by our love of beets. From their color to their richness in vitamins and minerals, beets are very versatile and a must have on any menu. Hope this recipe will inspire you to make beets a regular item in your diet.
Ingredients
1lb boiled beets, skinned and chopped into ¾ inch cubes
1 small carrot julienned
2 stalks green onion thinly sliced
Julienned spinach
¼ cup honey balsamic dressing (see below)
½ cup crumbled feta
Honey Balsamic Dressing
1/4 cup balsamic
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tbsp Dijon
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
3 cups canola oil
3/4 cups olive oil
Put all ingredients in blender.
Blend until smooth.
Instructions
Mix all ingredients and enjoy!!
Chef Mike MacIsaac
(902) 735-3225 244 Main Street
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
by Regina Cozzi
I came up with this recipe while trying to make toffee squares. I started the crust, then realized I was missing the main ingredients for the topping. Luckily, leftover Halloween Toblerone bars saved the day.
These squares are easy to make and will please the whole family!
Ingredients
3/4 cups butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 can sweetened condensed milk (300 ml)
2 Toblerone chocolate bars (100g each)
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter a 13″x 9″ pan
Combine sugar and melted butter
Add flour and mix with fingers until crumbly
Add mixture to pan and press down firmly
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden
Remove pan from heat
Pour condensed milk on top of crust
Add cut chocolate bar pieces on top of milk
Sprinkle chocolate chips between the chocolate pieces
Bake for 20 minutes
Remove from heat
With a knife, swirl melted chocolate on the surface to create a marble effect.
Let cool until set
Refrigerate for 2 hours
Cut into pieces before serving
Refrigerate leftovers to prevent chocolate from melting.
Enjoy 🙂
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